thinking of buying one of these for long commutes to work and putting my xj 14mpg xj in the garage to serve as a toy instead of DD... not really familiar with either of these cars, what are the pros and cons of each?

The Compass may have a slight edge on average mpg but the highest was actually a Patriot. 5 speed will do 2-3 mpg better than the CVT, again, on the average. It's a hard call on FWD vs $x$, you would think the FWD but I just don't recall too many comparisons on that.

Kinda rolling hills in your area? I was born in Van Buren ah, a few years ago, and that's what I remember. Any combination could do you well. Expect between 21 - 29 depending on what you may buy and your driving habits.